Circuit-interrupter.



PATENTED SEPT. 26, 1905.

G. P. MCDONNELL.

CIRCUIT INTERRUPTER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 5, 1903.

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GEORGE P. MODONNELL, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF EAST ORANGE, NEIV JER- SEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

CIRCUIT-INTERRUPTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 26, 1905.

Original application filed May 10, 1902, Serial No. 106,789. Divided and this application filed August 5,1903- Seria1No.168,34:2.

T0 ctZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE P. .MODONNELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Circuit-Interrupters, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view showing my improved circuit-interrupter in position. Fig. 2. is a plan view of the interrupterdisk, and Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in circuit-interrupters, the same being designed particularly for use in a bellringin'g circuit.

The object of my invention is to provide an interrupter-disk for making and breaking an electric circuit at intervals, the circuit when made attracting an armature which carries a bell-hammer. The motor which drives the circuit-interrupter is constantly rotated, so as to interrupt the bell-circuit whenever the same is completed by the manipulation of a switch or push-button. There may be any number of interrupted bell-circuits derived from one interrupter-disk.

With these objects in view my invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of my device, all as will hereinafter be described and afterward pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, 1 indicates a motor whose armature-shaft carries an interrupter-disk 2. This interrupter-disk is in the form of a flat metal plate with metallic cleats 3 secured to its opposite faces, between which cleats and flush therewith are insulation-blocks 1. Secured in a suitable manner to the frame of the motor, but insulated therefrom, is a brush 5, which bears against the disk and completes the bell-circuit by contacting with one of the cleats 3 thereof.

6 and 7 are the main-line wires.

leads from wire 6 to the brushes of the motor, and wire 10 leads from its brush back to the return-wire 7.

A switch 9 is in the interrupted circuit and when closed will cause the current to pass through wire 11 to the frame of the motor,

A Wire 8 I through the interrupter-disk, brush 5, resist ance 12, wire 13, bell-magnet 14, wire 15, through the switch 9 to wire 10, and back to the return-wire '7. A spring is provided to retract the bell-hammer armature upon the breaking of the circuit, as is well understood.

By the use of my improvedcircuit-interrupter it will be seen that electric call-bells can be installed in residences, hotels, and the like by utilizing the ordinary lighting or power circuit. In this manner all batteries are dispensed with, and consequently no attention is required to keep them in order. Furthermore, the inconvenience of renewing, disconnecting, and connecting wires from batteries, usually located in inaccessible places in dwellings, is done away with. By the utilization of the lighting or power circuit a constant electromotive force is obtainable at all times, and this is very essential where the circuit is used as a fire-alarm circuit. here batteries are employed, the diminishingstrength renders them unreliable, and in some cases where they are not frequently renewed the batteries become exhausted and cannot operate the translating devices when such operation is most important.

In a companion application filed by me May 10, 1902, Serial No. 106,789, I have shown and described a system wherein the motor is normally in a position of rest, the operation of a switch completing the motor-circuit and coincidently the interrupted circuit. In the present case, which is designed particularly for hotels and other purposes where a great number of bells are to be used, the motor is preferably a constantlyrunning motor, and the interrupted circuit is cut in to energize a bell-magnet by the operation of a switch or switches in the interrupted circuit or circuits.

I am aware that minor changes in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of my device can be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without in the least departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a main-line circuit and an interrupted branch circuit connected to the main-line circuit, said branch circuit having a relatively less current strength than the current strength of the main-line circuit, a motor in the main-line circuit, an interrupter-disk on the armature-shaft of the motor and provided with contact-faces, a brush on the motor cooperating with said contact-faces for completing the interrupted branch circuit, a bellmagnet in the interrupted branch circuit, and a switch in the interrupted branch circuit for opening and closing the same; substantially as described.

2. In a bell-ringing system, the combination with a main-line circuit of reiatively high current strength and a secondary or branch circuit of 'relatively low current strength and generated from the primary circuit, a motor in the path of the primary circuit, a bell in the path of the branch circuit, an interrupter-disk mounted on the armature-shaft of the motor and provided with contact-faces, and a brush cooperating with said contact-faces for interrupting and completing the branch circuit; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aifix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses, this 3d day of August, 1903.

GEORGE P. MODON N ELL.

Witnesses:

A. W. W. MILLER, GEORGE BAKEWELL. 

